UI aware method invocation transferring to java event dispatch thread

• US 7,464,382 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushnirskiy, Igor D.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao; Diem K
• Application Number:
  US11/054,058
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 719311-320, 719328-332, 710/39, 710/54
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for transferring a method call from an invoke thread to an event dispatch thread. The invoke thread and the event dispatch thread may execute independent of one another and the event dispatch thread may have an associated queue. The method may include defining a new call on the invoke thread. The new call may include identification of a method, identification of an object, one or more arguments, and a coalescing indicator indicating a type of coalescing for the call. The method may further include sending, during execution of the invoke thread, the new call to the queue, one or more previous calls being stored in the queue, and coalescing the new call with one of the previous calls in the queue according to the type of coalescing indicated by the coalescing indicator.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a method call from an invoke thread to an event dispatch thread, the invoke thread and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the event dispatch thread having an associated queue, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a new call on the invoke thread, the new call including;

i) identification of a method,

ii) identification of an object,

iii) one or more arguments, and

iv) a coalescing indicator indicating a type of coalescing for the call;

sending, during execution of the invoke thread, the new call to the queue, one or more previous calls being stored in the queue;

coalescing the new call with one of the previous calls in the queue according to the type of coalescing indicated by the coalescing indicator;

retrieving the coalesced new call from the queue; and

executing the retrieved call as an event on the event dispatch thread including calling the identified method for the identified object and passing the one or more arguments.

2. The method claim 1, further comprising the step of:

outputting a notification message, responsive to executing the retrieved call on the event dispatch thread.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the new call includes:

providing a call constructor identifying the method, the object, the one or more arguments, and the coalescing indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

determining that the new call and the one previous call identify the same object and the same method.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coalescing indicator indicates that the new call is to replace the one or more previous calls, and the step of coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

replacing the one previous call in the queue with the new call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coalescing indicator indicates that the one or more arguments of the new call are to be appended to an argument of the one previous call, and the step of coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

appending the one or more arguments of the new call to the argument of the one previous call in the queue.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving calls from the queue; and

executing the retrieved calls in sequence as events on the event dispatch thread.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving calls is performed asynchronously with respect to the step of sending the new call to the queue.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving calls is performed synchronously with respect to the step of sending the new call to the queue.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrieving calls from the queue is performed periodically.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the coalescing is performed when the method calls are retrieved from the queue.

12. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a method transfer program for transferring a method call from an invoke thread to an event dispatch thread, the invoke thread and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the event dispatch having an associated queue, the method transfer program;

defining a new call on the invoke thread, the new call including;

i) identification of a method,

ii) identification of an object,

iii) one or more arguments, and

iv) a coalescing indicator indicating a type of coalescing for the call;

sending, during execution of the invoke thread, the new call to the queue, one or more previous calls being stored in the queue, and coalescing the new call with one of the previous calls in the queue according to the type of coalescing indicated by the coalescing indicator;

retrieving the coalesced new call from the queue;

executing the retrieved call as an event on the event dispatch thread, including calling the identified method for the identified object and passing the one or more arguments; and

a processor capable of running the method transfer program.

13. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

determining that the new call and the one previous call identify the same object and the same method.

14. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coalescing indicator indicates that the new call is to replace the one or more previous calls, and coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

replacing the one previous call in the queue with the new call.

15. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coalescing indicator indicates that the one or more arguments of the new call are to be appended to an argument of the one previous call, and coalescing the new call with the one previous call includes:

appending the one or more arguments of the new call to the argument of the one previous call in the queue.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, the method transfer program further:

retrieving calls from the queue; and

executing the retrieved calls in sequence as events on the event dispatch thread.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein retrieving calls is performed asynchronously with respect to sending the new call to the queue.

18. The data processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein retrieving calls is performed synchronously with respect to sending the new call to the queue.

19. A tangible storage medium comprising a computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform a method for transferring a method call from an invoke thread to an event dispatch thread, the invoke thread and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the event dispatch having an associated queue, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a new call on the invoke thread, the new call including;

i) identification of a method,

ii) identification of an object,

iii) one or more arguments, and

iv) a coalescing indicator indicating a type of coalescing for the call;

sending, during execution of the invoke thread, the new call to the queue, one or more previous calls being stored in the queue;

coalescing the new call with one of the previous calls in the queue according to the type of coalescing indicated by the coalescing indicator;

retrieving the coalesced new call from the queue; and

executing the retrieved call as an event on the event dispatch thread, including calling the identified method for the identified object and passing the one or more arguments.

20. An apparatus for transferring a method call from an invoke thread to an event dispatch thread, the invoke thread and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the event dispatch having an associated queue, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

means for defining a new call on the invoke thread, the new call including;

i) identification of a method,

ii) identification of an object,

iii) one or more arguments, and

iv) a coalescing indicator indicating a type of coalescing for the call;

means for sending, during execution of the invoke thread, the new call to the queue, one or more previous calls being stored in the queue;

means for coalescing the new call with one of the previous calls in the queue according to the type of coalescing indicated by the coalescing indicator;

means for retrieving the coalesced new call from the queue; and

means for executing the retrieved call as an event on the event dispatch thread, including calling the identified method for the identified object and passing the one or more arguments.